Bridgeton pioneer., 1887-01-27

Total Destruction Of the Paper
Mill Of Walter MOorhouse.


utes after one and halfpast three
O'Clock the Luck anow Paper Mills, p"
were totally destroyed. The fire orig
mated in the picking and cleaning
room, but the origin has not nor prob
ably ever will be known. There had
been worlmen thete during the eve
ming putting in new machinery, etc,
for the cleaning OF the waste paper,
but as only lanterns were used, it could
not have been Anything connected
with them. 1t was half-past eleven
o'clock might when millwright Thos.
Tuthill left that part of the works,
and to a PIONEER reporter he stated he
had been very careful, and there was
nothing to resemble fire anywhere
about. The fire vas discovered by
engineer Lorenzo Moore at about
| twenty minutes past one o'clock this
morning, and at that time the whole
of that portion of the mill was in
flames. He Immediately gave the
alarm, and the night force of the mill
got out the fire apparatus and com
menced to fight the flames. 1t was
of no avail, however, and the flames
| were rapidly gaining upon the main
| portion of the building.
1t was just halfIpast one when the
fire alarm sounded, and the fire engine
and the hose carriage were soon upon
the spot and ready for action. 1t was
| five minutes of two when the first
stream was put upon the building.
By this time the whole Of the building
| fronting on Water street was mass of
| flames All the efforts ofthe Company
were made at this time to fight back
| the flames from the rear Of the build
| ing, where the valuable rolls were
Soon after flames were discovered
| coming out Of the roof of the rear por-
ton of the building, but owing to a
lack of hose it could not be reached.
Some of the firemen were of the
opinion that if they we're allowed to
| fight the flames from the inside they
could do better. and il the opinion of
many the Chief made mistake in not
| letting the firemen d, SO. The fire
could not be fought from the roof be-
| cause the shingles werenailed upon a
pine sheathing inside the building.
More hose had arrived by this time,
| but the flames were so far advanced
that it was plain the ntire building
was doomed.
The main building had by this time
nearly burned itself out The engineer,
when he was compelld to leave his
post, opened the valves If the boiler,
thus allowing the steam to escape,
and saving an explosion which would
have cost many lives
1t was a sad spectacle see all the
valuable property of thismill devoured
by the fire fiend, and tie many men
standing about helpless. The fire was
extremely hot, and the fremen could
not get anywhere near th flames, the
| great, heavy bales of paper burning
and throwing out a tremndous heat.
There was lack of waer, at times
the four-inch main on Water street
not supplying the powerful Silsby fast
enough for the three strains. Soon
the building fell in all arolnd and the
fire about spent itself. Hiremen re-
NAMED all night with one lose, throw
ing a stream upon the mouldering
ruins. By five o'clock there was
nothing for the engine ans firemen to
do, and, with the exception of a single
| fireman, retired from the sene.
A visit to the place tbs morning
revealed a demoralized stat of affairs.
The smouldering timbers piled high
upon each other, and the machinery
| warped and twisted until it vas worth
| nothing but for old iron. There is
but little remaining, with he excep-
building and the iron work. Mr..
! Moorhouse said to the PIONEER re-
porter that of course he couH not tell
| all about it as yet, but he thought
that there was nothing Of my value
left to him whatever, with tie excep-
ton of his boilers and smokestacks.
He valued the property 1t about
$42, 1000, and half of which he ears is a
total loss to him. When he bought
the mill of Mr.. Isaac Mulfort he paid
for them 1000, and since that time
had put his entire profits in it,
until he had property valued at the
whether he will rebuild or no. Once
before he was burned out, al Brides
burg, Pa. He cannot state What his
future movements will be.
Tho 11oIxpow mi lie aDorlovaJ tyrontxy